More than 30 people die in forest fires on the US west coast. And the danger should continue for weeks.

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Firefighters at Mill City, Oregon: Tens of thousands of people had to leave their homes and apartments

Photo: KATHRYN ELSESSER / AFP

For weeks there has been a fire in the three US west coast states of California, Oregon and Washington - and the consequences are devastating.

33 people have so far been killed by the fire, dozens are missing and tens of thousands have had to leave their homes.

In California alone, 22 people have died since the first fire broke out in mid-August, and there have been ten fatalities in Oregon.

Among them is a 13-year-old boy who, according to CNN, died when his family tried to escape the flames in a car.

Although the situation stabilized somewhat in some places, in the state of Oregon, according to the newspaper "The Oregonian", the evacuation warning levels were relaxed in some areas.

There and in California, the authorities hoped for a relaxation through favorable winds, possible rain and lower temperatures.

Fire brigade calls for caution

But tens of thousands of firefighters are still on duty - and this year's "fire season" will last at least seven weeks, "USA Today" wrote.

The fire brigade therefore called on people on the west coast to remain vigilant: "Do not be fooled by the cooler temperatures," quoted the newspaper David Berlant from the Cal Fire authority in California.

"Historically, September and October are the largest and most devastating forest fires."

According to media reports, the police arrested suspected arsonists in some locations.

According to the "New York Times", an area equivalent to around 20,200 square kilometers of forest had burned down in the past few weeks, roughly the area of ​​Rhineland-Palatinate or Saxony-Anhalt.

"Entire cities have burned down," reported CNN on Saturday.

Climate change exacerbates fires

It breaks his heart, wrote Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley on Twitter on Saturday to pictures of burned down houses.

"This is the devastation I see today, left by these unprecedented forest fires. Streets of houses and businesses, hopes and dreams, history and future, all destroyed."

This year, according to the "New York Times", the soils in Oregon in particular in the northwest of the state were parched due to severe drought, which means that the fires also spread to regions that are typically not affected by fires.

"We are in a climate crisis," said California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday during a site visit to the burned-out forests near the village of Oroville.

Many scientists would have predicted this development years ago.

"We are in a climate crisis."

California Governor Gavin Newsom

Scientists believe that climate change will exacerbate weather extremes that contribute to more violent forest fires.

Six of the current fires are already among the 20 largest in California history since records began in 1930.

Thick smoke drifts over the cities

Local authorities fear that the death toll could rise.

Those responsible are also concerned about the thick smoke that is spreading on the west coast and sweeping across cities such as Pasadena and San Francisco.

The air has been classified as unhealthy by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

In Portland, Oregon, the approaching fires are also having a massive impact on air quality.

According to the IQAir database, Portland was the world's most polluted city on Saturday.

In total, there are currently a dozen states in the western United States, including Colorado, Utah, and Arizona.

US President Donald Trump wants to personally inform himself about the fires in California for the first time on Monday.

Trump will visit McClellan Park, a settlement north of Sacramento, a spokesman said.

He will take part in a meeting with regional and federal forces.

Trump had planned election campaign dates in the neighboring state of Nevada for the weekend and the beginning of the week, according to the US media an appointment in Arizona was also planned on Monday.

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